SD1056. Edward George Barrett to George Goodin Barrett (1792-1854)
Published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 4, 359 (in part).
Union, Sp Town
Oct 9 1839
My dear Papa
I have just received your letter of August 15– I hope with you that I have exaggerated Sam’s extravagant propensities. I can say one thing for him, he makes the best resolutions but unfortunately his practice does not by any means agree with his theory. I dont know whether he means to reduce his expenses in order to encrease his property, but as far as I can understand he fancies he has found some way of buying property and paying for it out of itself without drawing upon his own funds it is rather a strange idea, quite an air castle I should think. If Monk and I live in St Ann’s together as you will see by my last letters we are going to do we can [illegible word] each other if we are so unfortunate as to fall sick, it is a curious thing that our own women make the best of nurses while black people would see you die with the greatest equanimity, without stirring a step to give you a glass of water. You must excuse my scrawl, for I have had an attack of fever which I am just recovering from, it lasted a week but that does not prove that I am of a feverish habit, but <ju>st the contrary, for any other person would have had a serious attack instead of such a trifle as mine, the truth of the matter is, that Union is very unhealthy in this rainy season. Sam is going to bring Monk down here for four or five days before we’ll go to St Ann’s I hope he will not get ill, but it is very foolish in Sam– I thought I was right in my |law| about Union, I am a better lawyer it appears already than the Lawyers here, and that the opinion come from a lawyer you can trust, or from a young and inexperienced one, for the lawyers here say just to contrary. It certainly appears to me as clear as any thing can be, Monk I am glad to say, like a wise fellow has completely driven away the idea of going into the army, I argued with him and represented to him that the army was by no means a profession to obtain a livelihood in, I assure you Monk has plenty of common sense, and knows well what he is about only sometimes he takes a fancy into his head but, his good sense soon over comes it. He writes to me very joyfully and says that he is appointed a bookeeper in St Ann’s with a salary of 50£ currency a year, and that I am to help him, I suppose Sam thinks that it would hurt me directly to be made a bookeeper after having been an Overseer[.] I have had such a terrible misfortune I would rather have had a dozen fevers I have broken my poor flute and I was just beginning to play so capitally– I am going to send it to Uncle John, I dare say he will be kind enough to send it to the Makers I wish you would be so kind as to pay the bill, if it will not come to too much I should like a third F# key |just one| perhaps you will see Uncle if you embark at London– I dont know what to do if you embark before you get this letter. How glad I shall be to see you I expect you every day now. We shall be so happy in St Ann’s, it is a great pity that Sam has given (that is to say lent) the best house you have in St Ann’s to Miss Gaynor, but you will be sure to be comfortable wherever Sam has been able to exist. The news from the Penn’s are rather unfavourable, Sam says that there is great difficulty in getting lean stock, I have been bothering Sam to move in the House of Assembly for a high tax on Spanish Cattle, if they put on on it will raise the prices <of> stock immensely, but the price of lean cattle will rise, perhaps in a greater proportion, I should think however that the encreased price of fat cattle and Planters stock and mules would fully counterbalance the encreased price of Lean Stock. however you will know better about these things when you come out, pray make haste– I believe Sam and all his family are quite well, his plan is to bring Monk down here for a few days to See Spanish Town (very kind and very imprudent from the insalubrity of the Pond) and then to take or send both of us back to St Ann’s and then to bring down the rest of his family, for there is no room here for all together– I have no more news so Goodbye and I am dear Papa
your affectionate Son
E G Barrett
Do not believe [illegible word] that I am of a feverish habit, every body now has fever, the doctors are thinner now from hard work than any other time of the year beside I never have hard fever in St Ann’s and what trifles my fevers are I think they do good instead of harm– I am very sorry indeed to here such a bad account of poor Aunt, It is too true that she will never see us again as she said– I was quite impatient to have a letter from Missy in her own handwriting, pray give her kisses for me– You had better come in a ship bound to Kingston, it is 53 miles from there to where we are going to live, and from Montego bay it is about 65 or 70, St Ann’s bay would be the nearest only 14 miles but I do not think any large ships come there pray come in a large ship, not in a brig or small vessel that may be easily upset. I have written to a friend in Kingston to try to find some Captain of a merchantman who will deliver my flute safely I think that is the best way– Write to me and tell me when you sail and in what ship and how many tons and all about it. |George| and I thought you ha<d so>ld Milverton Lodge, |I was not quite| convinced as yet as yo<u send yo>ur letter from thence–
Sam did not tell me that his object in keeping us in St James’s was the fear that we should not be well nursed in St Ann’s, if that was his object why send me to Union, and in the rainy season too– He told Maria that he was afraid to trust us by ourselves– Bring out a bridle and saddle and gun and gun [illegible word] to clean it and every thing You may want, for things are enormously dear here, the greater part of the store keepers being Jews which accounts for the high prices satisfactorily.
Address, on integral page: Captn Barrett / Milverton Lodge / Leamington / Warwickshire.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Eton College Library.
___________________
